Problem Statement
Aviation Safety is always the primary concern problem in aviation. Starting from the Lion Air flight crashes on October 29, 2018, couples more crashes happened on the Boeing 737 MAX. After the crashes, Boeing 737 Max’s safety has become an issue for people included airlines and the customers. On March 10, 2019, the other crash on Boeing 737 MAX happened in Ethiopian Airlines jet, and Boeing finally starts taking action on March 12, 2019. Aircraft safety had become one of the main issues in 2019.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this research paper is going to determine the change in Boeing 737 MAX within the crashes and approve back to flight. This research paper will also determine the possible improvement in aviation safety, which could decrease the similar problem happened in the future. This research paper will again analyze the possible reasons that cause crashes and list potential improvement for different reasons.
Running head: ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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Analysis of The Boeing 737 MAX Crashes, And the Actions Taken to Improve Aviation Safety
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ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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Abstract
The objective of this research is to analyze the possible causes of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
accidents, and possible solutions. The other objective is to explore the changes that have been
made on the affected aircraft following the investigations made into the accidents that occurred in
Indonesia and Ethiopia. The third objective is to analyze the measures that have been taken to
improve aviation safety following these accidents so that similar accidents can be prevented in the
future. A systematic review of the findings from previous studies has been employed as the main
study method. Systematic interpretation of these findings has been done to help in improving the
understanding about the causes of the crashes, and the specific measures taken by the stakeholders
in the aviation industry to mitigate the recurrence of similar accidents. The main finding is that a
control system failure, and the lack of transparency about the specific features of the planes were
the main causes of the two accidents that occurred within a span of five months. This research has
also revealed that measures taken to improve aviation safety include routine pilot training, making
the aircraft certification process more effective, and timely detection, and elimination of safety
risks. Boeing has also responded by updating the control system of the affected planes following
the results of the investigation released about the two accidents by various agencies. This research
is important because it would yield information that can be used by stakeholders in the aviation
industry to address safety risks, and avoid the reoccurrence of similar accidents.
Keywords; Boeing, crash, 737 MAX, Boeing 737 MAX
ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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Analysis of the Boeing 737 MAX Crashes, and the Actions Taken to Improve Aviation Safety
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Boeing Aircraft Crashes
The safety of Boeing 737 MAX became a concern for all aviation stakeholders in
the world, including airlines, travelers, and the regulatory agencies, after two tragic
accidents involving this model of aircraft occurred within a span of 5 months. On 29th
October 2018, a Boeing 737 Max aircraft operated by Lion Air crashed in Indonesia a few
minutes after taking off in Jakarta (Joint Authorities Technical Review, 2019). On 10th
March 2019, the same model of aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed a few
minutes after taking off in Addis Ababa (Joint Authorities Technical Review, 2019).
•
Global Reaction to The Crashes
Many countries grounded the aircraft after the crash in Ethiopia, including China,
and the U. S. Fear stemmed from the fact that both crashes were associated with miss-trim
of aircraft, with the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) taking
control (Dias, Lopes, & Teles, 2020).
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Significance of The Problem
The accidents involving the aircraft model warrants scholarly attention because
they threaten public safety. The crash in Indonesia killed 189 people while the crash in
Ethiopia killed 157 (Congressional Research Service, 2019; Dias, Lopes, & Teles, 2020).
Changes on Boeing 737 Max After the Crashes
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System Update
ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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After the crash in Indonesia, investigations were done but no changes were made on the B737
MAX model (National Transportation Safety Board, 2019). The MCAS component of the planes
was updated to make it safer after the Ethiopian crash. The new system will compare the inputs
from the sensors on both sides of the fuselage and deactivate the MCAS if more than 5 degrees
variation in the AOA is recorded (Dias, Lopes, & Teles, 2020; Karami, 2020).
•
Reduced Dominance of the MCAS Over Pilots Controlling the Aircraft
The pilots involved in the two accidents were not able to correct the miss-trim events
because they were not able to counteract the action of the MCAS. A change was made to the
MCAS to reduce its dominance over pilots in commanding the aircraft stabilizer (Dias, Lopes, &
Teles, 2020). Pilots can now counteract the command made to the stabilizer by the MCAS.
Aviation Safety Measures
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Training of Flight Crew
Pilots are to undergo continuous training to make them familiar with the operation of the
aircraft in question. A standardized training program for U. S air carriers that focuses on
prevention, and involves training sessions on the MCAS has been proposed (Congressional
Research Service, 2020). Relevant training is a critical component of aviation safety (Socha et al,
2014).
•
Detection and Elimination of Risks
ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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The FAA is urging airlines and manufacturers to conduct routine checks on their aircraft, detect
safety risks, and take appropriate correctional measures (Kinnison & Siddiqui, 2012). For example,
manufacturers are urged to detect and respond to issues such as the nose down trims that ended up
causing the two accidents. Technical risks are usually exploited by other safety issues to increase
the chances that accidents would occur (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2018).
•
Address Conflict of Interests in Oversight
The FAA is the body trusted with oversight, and certification of aircraft. The FAA is reducing
the involvement of manufacturers, specifically Boeing employees, in the aircraft inspection, and
certification process (Karami, 2020; Miller, Borenstein & Herkert, 2020). By eliminating conflicts
of interest in the oversight role, the FAA can ensure that the operational safety of aircraft is
objectively evaluated and remedial measures taken before certification.
Causes of The Boeing 737 Crashes and Potential Solutions
•
Software Failure
Aircraft accidents are often caused by a combination of factors (Kinnison & Siddiqui, 2012).
In both the two accidents involving Boeing, the control system failed as a result of the sensors on
the two sides of the fuselage reading different angles of attack (Congressional Research Service,
2019; Dias, Lopes, & Teles, 2020). This caused miss-trim events with the MCAS system denying
the crews the ability to overturn its faulty commands on the stabilizer. The possible solution is to
modify and evaluate the system based on empirical evidence so that it can be safe.
•
The Assumption Involved in The Manufacture of Boeing 737 MAX
ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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The assumption made during the manufacture and certification is also responsible for the
accidents. It was assumed that the MCAS will rectify the AOA in case the sensors’ readings were
inconsistent (Dias, Lopes, & Teles, 2020). It was also assumed that the pilots would figure out
how to manually correct AOA in case of a system failure. A possible solution is that all safety
risks should be analyzed and addressed conclusively before aircraft certification.
•
Lack of Adequate Flight Crew Training
The fact that Boeing Company did not openly reveal the changes in the B737 MAX also
contributed to the two accidents. As noted by Dias, Lopes & Teles (2020), the influence of MCAS
on the AOA was unknown to the pilots making it difficult for them to respond appropriately to the
miss-trimming events that caused the fatal accidents. Without relevant training and awareness
about the features of an aircraft system, pilots are unable to make quick decisions that are needed
to prevent aircraft from stalling while on-air (Gokhale, Raghavan, & Tremblay, 2014; Socha et al,
2014). The possible solution is to produce a manual about the new MCAS system so that pilots
can understand how to work with it, especially during a crisis.
•
Inadequate Monitoring by FAA
Conflicts of interests hindered the effective evaluation of the planes, thus leading to the
certification of aircraft whose operational safety was not guaranteed. The FAA involved Boeing
staff in the certification process for B737 MAX, thus compromising the objectivity of the process
(Miller, Borenstein & Herkert, 2020). The risk of MCAS causing miss-trim events could not be
addressed before the aircraft certification because of the conflict of interest involved in the
ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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certification process. The possible solution is to exclude aircraft manufacturers from the oversight
role.
Conclusion
•
The safety issues affecting the B737 aircraft should be urgently addressed because they
threaten public safety. System failure and the inability of stakeholders to fulfill their
responsibilities caused the accidents. The system and software have since been updated.
ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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References
Congressional Research Service. (2019, October 3). Cockpit Automation, Flight Systems
Complexity, and Aircraft Certification: Background and Issues for Congress. Retrieved
from Fas.org: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45939.pdf
Dias, M., Lopes, R. A., & Teles, A. (2020, April). Could boeing 737 max crashes be avoided?
Factors that undermined project safety. GSJ, 8(4), 187-196.
doi:https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.11216%2Fgs
j.2020.04.38187
Gokhale, J., Raghavan, S., & Tremblay, V. J. (2014). The Effect on St ect on Stockholder’s
Wealth on Critical Systems F ealth on Critical Systems Failure and Remedy: The Boeing
787 Case. Retrieved from Commons.erau.edu:
https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=db-accounting
Joint Authorities Technical Review. (2019, October 11). Boeing 737 MAX Flight Control
System. Retrieved from Faa.gov:
https://www.faa.gov/news/media/attachments/Final_JATR_Submittal_to_FAA_Oct_201
9.pdf
Karami, D. (2020, May). Data analysis about the crashes of Boeing 737 max. ResearchGate, 1-2.
doi:https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.31224%2Fos
f.io%2Frmtv2
ANALYSIS OF THE BOEING 737 MAX CRASHES
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Kinnison, H. A., & Siddiqui, T. (2012). Aviation Maintenance Management. McGraw-Hill
Education.
Miller, K., Borenstein, J., & Herkert, J. (2020, July). The Boeing 737 MAX: Lessons for
Engineering Ethics. Sci Eng Ethics, 1-18. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11948-02000252-y
National Transportation Safety Board. (2019, March 10). Assumptions Used in the Safety
Assessment Process and the Effects of Multiple Alerts and Indications on Pilot
Performance. Retrieved from Ntsb.gov:
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/ASR1901.pdf
Socha, V., Socha, L., Szabo, S., & Němec, V. (2014, October). Air accidents, their investigation,
and prevention. eXclusive e-Journal.
U.S. Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration. (2018, March 13).
Advisory Circular. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Faa.gov:
https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_90-66b.pdf
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